by Corey Apar Similar to contemporaries Set Your Goals, the guys of Four Year Strong own an obvious love of bands like Lifetime, Gorilla Biscuits, and New Found Glory, which ultimately helped them bring to life an aggressive and melody-riddled combination of hardcore and pop-punk upon their formation while high school students in Worchester, MA. The lineup of vocalists/guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, drummer Jake Massucco, and synth player Josh Lyford was cemented sometime around 2003, though a form of the band had already been playing together for a few years prior. Following the appearance of two self-released EPs, Four Year Strong ultimately signed a deal with New Jersey-based imprint I Surrender Records. Their debut full-length, Rise or Die Trying, was issued on the label in September 2007; tour dates with groups like the Starting Line, Valencia, and From First to Last kept them on the road for the remainder of the year.